Flangeless railway system.



No. 860,847. PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

L. BEEGHER.

FLANGELBSS RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.6. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

a rwznl ov wmmm JA/LI-W {4 I 55 I I a gym W M ruz lvomus Pzrnzs co., wnsmunrcu, v. c.

PATENTED JULY 23, 1 907.

. L. BEEGHBR. FLANGELESS RAILWAY SYSTEM.

2 SHEIBTB-SHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED 1030.6. 1906.

mun

THE- N9RRI5 PETERS Cm, WASHINGTON,- D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LINA BEEGHER, OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR TO FLANGELESS RAILWAY CORPORATION, OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

FLANGELESS RAILWAY SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1907.

Application filed December 6, 1906- $erial No. 346,579.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LINA Bnnennn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Miami, in the county of Dade and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Flangeless Railway Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical railway systems of the type commonly known as the third-rail systern; and it has for its main object to provide a simple and inexpensive mechanism whereby flangeless wheels may be employed, in conjunction with plain flat rails, without the danger of possible derailment.

In this type of railways, it is usual to locate the third or trolley-rail, as it is sometimes called, upon the surface of the ground, where it is exposed to all kinds of weather, water in times of rain and snow and ice in times of cold, all of which tends to render the U-shaped slot, usually situated in the top of the third-rail, ineffective, causing the current to become shortcircuited, and thereby put the system out of operation for the time being.

My invention is designed to overcome these defects, and, at the same time, to provide for the employment of flangeless wheels, as will be hereinafter fully described in this specification and briefly stated in the claims.

In the drawings-Figure 1- is a transverse section of the road-bed of an electric railway system of the third-rail type, showing my improved mechanism for preventing drailment of a car provided with fiangeless wheels; Fig. 2 a similar view, showing the trolleyshoe, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section of the road-bed and a portion of the running-gear of a car, showing the mechanism for preventing derailment in side elevation.

Referring to the several views, the numerals 2 indicates a road-bed of the usual concrete construction, in which the traction-rails A, A are laid in the usual manner.

The letter B indicates the third-rail, preferably placed midway between the traction rails, and is secured to the bottom of the road-bed support 3 by means of the fish-plate a.

At each side of the third-rail is located a slot 0. opening into a conduit C, in which operates a guide or rollerflange 4, and also the contact-shoe or brush 5, slidably connected to the lower end of the downwardly projecting trolley-arm 6, which is securely attached to the bottom of the car E and braced by struts or braces 7.

The end of the shank of the contact-shoe operates in bent end of the trolley-arm, and said shank is surrounded by a coil-spring 8 to insure close electrical contact with the web of the third-rail from which the current is taken. The trolley-arm passes down through the slot a, as shown in Fig. 2.

The third-rail is provided with a cap D of suitable insulating material, such as wood, to prevent injury to persons or animals should they accidentally come in contact with said rail.

Collars F, F, are slidably mounted on each car-axle G, and depending from each collar is an arm 9, the lower endof which passes down through the slot a and has attached to it the guide or roller-flange 4. These guides or flange-rollers are made of any suitable insulating material such as lignum-vitae, and maintained in contact pressure against the web of the third-rail by means of springs 10, which surround the axle and abut against collars H. The guide or roller-flanges form an important feature of my invention, as the flanged wheel in ordinary use, can be dispensed with and the flangeless type 11 employed, without danger of the car being derailed. The pressure exerted by the springs upon the guide or roller-flanges keep them in constant contact with the web of the thirdrail, doing the work of the old flanged-wheels, safely without jar; allowing curves to be rounded at a high rate of speed with safety, and with a minimum of friction.

Mounted on each sets of sleeves F, F is a secondary sleeve 14, which serves to cover the annular space 15, provided to allow play between said sleeves, and to prevent undue motion of the sleeves. The sleeves 14 are connected together by a bar K to support and give steadiness to said sleeves.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination with the axles of a car and the track-rails, of a third-rail, a slotted conduit on each side of the third-rail, two sleeves mounted slidably on each axle and carrying a guide or roller-flanges arranged to operate in the conduits on opposite sides of the web portion of the third-rail, and springs arranged to exert a pressure on the guide or roller-flanges to cause constant contact with said third-rail.

2. The combination with the axles of a car and the track-rails, of a third-rail, a slotted conduit on each side of the third-rail, two sleeves mounted slidably on each axle and carrying guide or roller-flanges arranged to operate in the conduits on opposite sides of the web portion of the thirdrail, springs arranged to bear against the sleeves, and collars arranged to limit the action of the springs.

33. The combination with the axles of a car and the track-rails, of a third-rail, a slotted conduit on each side of the third rail, two sleeves mounted slidably on each axle and carrying guide or roller-flanges arranged to operate in the conduit on opposite sides of the web portion of the third-rail, springs arranged to bear against the sleeves, collars arranged to limit the action of the springs, and collars mounted on the sleeves and connected by a bar, to prevent undue motion in said sleeves.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' LINA BEECHER.

Witnesses P. H. BURCH, Jos. A. RYAN. 

